Figurine gift holder for currency



A ril 23, 1957 A. J. ALLISON FIGURINE GIFT HOLDER FOR CURRENCY Filed Oct. 21, 1954 United States Patent f FIGURINE GIFT HOLDER FOR CURRENCY Audrey J. Allison, Wilmington, lll., assignor to Allison Studios, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Application October 21, 1954, Serial No. 463,772

4 Claims. (Cl. 46-116) This invention relates to a gift holder and more particularly to a decorative figurine-type of holder for paper currency, merchandise certificates or similar articles.

The present invention is concerned with a novel device for use in making a gift of paper currency. It presents an attractive way of wrapping or holding a bill as well as presenting an item which would have some use for children after it has served its purpose as a holder for the bill.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an attractive and a novel gift holder structure particularly adapted for use in holding paper currency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gift holder in the form of a doll or figurine wherein the paper currency to be held by the holder forms a part of the decorative scheme of the device.

Other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the gift holder assembled with a one dollar bill held therein;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the holder illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the juncture between the torso and legs of the holder taken substantially along line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through one leg looking toward a foot of the device and taken substantial-ly along line 44 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the foot and leg connection taken substantially along line 5-5 in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the leg structure removed from the gift holder.

In general, the present gift holder has a leg structure formed of a bendable metal strip having a free length sufiicient to receive a bill of United States currency wrapped lengthwise around the strip. This strip is equipped with blocks upon which it may be held upright after the strip is bent by hand into a bowed shape. The holder has a simulated figure of the torso of a doll equipped on its lower side with a fastener for securing it to the leg struc* ture and at the same time fastening the bill of currency in place in the holder. The doll torso is appropriately painted or otherwise colored to be attractive in appearance. The holder is quite effective since it securely holds a bill of currency in place against accidental loss and yet is quite convenient in use, particularly since it holds the bill in substantially full view.

The particular structure employed includes a thin bendable metal strip forming the major portion of the legs of the holder. This strip is formed of a soft rolled steel so that it may be formed by hand into a shape desired, which shape will be retained. The strip has some resiliency so that sharp bends would not normally be formed in the strip, however, a bowed shape, such as illustrated in Figure 1, can readily and easily be formed by hand. The

2,789,394 7 Patented Apr. 23, 1957 strip has a free length between the feet 8 and 9 a little longer than the length of a bill of United States currency. Ordinarily, this free length is about 7 in. to permit, for instance, a dollar bill to be wrapped lengthwise around the strip, this being the only means by which the dollar bill would be fastened on thestrip.

Each foot structure has a base portion 10 and a toe portion 11 extending forwardly. The metal strip 7 may be formed with a knock-out 12 at either end to present a sharp point 13 which can bed itself into the wooden part of the foot. A slot 14 is provided in the base portion of the foot so that the strip 7 can be inserted either from the rearward edge 15 or from the top into proper position in the foot. In some instances,.suitable adhesive may be used to insure the attachment of the foot and strip together. It is preferred that the foot portions be arranged on the strip so that the base 16 of each foot portion is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the strip. In this manner, thefoot portions will hold the strip in an upright position after it is formed into the bowed shape illustrated in Figurel.

It will be noted in Figures 1 and 2 that a dollar bill B has been folded about .the strip 7 and appears to be the trousers on the legs of the doll form. A doll torso 18 may be formed of wood, plastic, metal or composition and used in conjunction with the metal strip 7 to complete the holder. In-the embodiment illustrated, the torso is formed of wood and has two parts, a body portion 19 and a head portion 20 secured thereto. The holder illustrated is intended to simulate a cowboy and has a pair of openings. 21 and 22 therein, one of which holds a coil of string 23 simulating a lariat. The drawing is shaded to illustrate color on the face and body. As used herein, the wood torso is to be interpreted as including a head but not necessarily limbs such as arms or legs.

The leg structure formed by the strip and the torso structure are provided with a means for easily and readily removably connecting them together. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the particular fastener means for accomplishing this result comprises a spring clip 24 having its base portion visible in Figures 1 and 2 and shown in section in Figure 3. A nail 26 is utilized to hold the spring clip to the torso 18 so that a rearwardly extending finger 27 with a downwardly flaring lip 28 will extend under and generally parallel to the base 29 of the torso. The space between the finger 27 and the base 29 is of suificient width to receive the metal strip 7 and the currency bill B wrapped therearound with a snug fit. The springing qualities of the clip frictionally grip the strip and bill in such a manner that the torso and legs are securely fastened together. It is ordinarily preferred to form the base 29 of the torso in a flat plane to insure a uniform space between the base and finger of the clip for the reception of the strip and bill. Other fastener means obviously may be used, the criterion being that it be one permitting ready removal of one part of the other.

It is contemplated that the present holder may take many forms as far as the appearance of the decorative features are concerned. There may be seasonal indications by the form of the torso utilized with the feet and strip comprising the legs of the holder. The torso may be of simple design or one of complicated features. In either event, the gift holder may be used by a child as a doll since it is in this form even after it has served its purposes as a gift holder for currency.

From the foregoing description, it is believed apparent that the person wishing to use the gift holder first straightens the strip 7 to the form illustrated in Figure 6. This can be done quite easily by straightening the strip with the fingers and hand. A bill of currency then may be easily wrapped around the strip with its long dimengreases sion extending between the feet. The next step is to reform the strip with the currency bill around it into a bowed form to bring the bases 16 of the feet into a common plane. When this is done, the strip can be set in an upright position on the feet. The torso is next afiixed to the central portion of the strip to form the completed gift holder.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A gift holder, comprising: an elongated fiat metal strip member having a length to receive a bill of paper currency wrapped thereanound, said member being readily bendable from straight to bowed configuration to simulate legs of a doll; a foot on each end of said metal member for standing same upright when in said bowed configuration; a doll torso having a base for resting upon the central portion of said member; and .a fastener for removably securing the paper currency, metal member and doll torso together to hold the paper currency from accidental removal from the metal member.

2. A gift holder as specified in claim 1 in which the doll torso is provided with a spring metal clip extending across the base of the torso and the metal member and paper currency are secured between the clip and torso base.

3. A gift holder for paper currency, comprising: a thin elongated strip of sheet metal material readily formable in a single plane by bending; a foot member secured to each end of the strip, each foot member having a flat bottom for supporting the strip in an upright position when the strip is formed in a bowed shape so as to bring said bottoms into a common plane; and a doll torso having a fiat base for sitting upon the strip so that the strip simulates legs for the torso; and a fastener secured to the torso and underlying said flat base for removably securing the torso and strip together with paper currency wrapped around the strip and frictionally secured between the fastener and the torso.

4. A gift holder for paper currency, comprising: an elongated fiat surfaced metal strip having a length to receive a currency bill wrapped lengthwise around the strip, said strip having a width to be relatively rigid against bending in the plane of its flat surface and a thickness permitting manual bending of the strip normal to its flat surface; a foot member secured to each end of the strip and having lower fiat bearing surfaces adapted to be positioned in a common plane by bowing said strip to imitate legs of a doll; a doll torso having a lower flat bottom for resting upon the central portion of said strip; and a spring metal clip having a base secured to the torson and a finger extending below said fiat bottom to cooperatively grip said legs and currency bill between the clip and flat base thus simulating a doll with legs wrapped in said currency, said rearwardly extending finger being spaced generally uniformly from said lower flat bottom to provide a space of generally uniform width for removably receiving and frictionally gripping the flat metal strip and currency bill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,591,661 Dinsdale July 6, 1926 2,137,575 Lincoln Nov. 22, 1938 2,662,335 Calverly Dec. 15, 1953 

